Moorestown resident Paul Johnson, 17, is heading to Oxford, Pa., this weekend, where he will compete for an opportunity to be the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s regional champion for Southeast Pennsylvania. If he pulls that off, the next competition is for state heavyweight champion.
Paul also plays varsity football for St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia, where he’s an honor student.
“He’s a good athlete,” said Paul’s wrestling coach, Kevin Martin. “He’s a hard worker. So he can do both.”
Martin said Paul won the Section 8 wrestling championship on Feb. 18, and then went on to win the District 12 championship on Feb. 25. That currently makes him the top-seeded wrestler among about 60 schools in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Martin said Paul is the first student from St. Joseph’s to win a sectional title in six years. Making his achievement even more impressive is the fact that Paul is only a junior.
On Wednesday, Paul said he’s looking forward to the competition this weekend. Although football is his favorite sport, he really enjoys wrestling — which he’s been doing for nine years.
He admitted that it’s difficult sometimes, balancing the athletics and the schoolwork.
“There are only so many hours in the day,” he said. “But I love the challenge.”
